Multicolor magazine pencil



July 1711951 v. voTRuBA MULTICOLOR MAGAZINE PENCIL Filed June so, 1947nven/or:

Va/rfc/f Varel/a.

Patented July 17, 1951 MULTICOLOR. MAGAZINE PENCIL Vojtech Votruba,Ceske Budejovica, Czechoslovakia, assignor toKoh-I-Noor Pencil FactoryL. & C. Hardtmuth, Ceske Bu'dejovica, `Czechoslovakia, a Czechoslovakian`company Application June30, 1947, SerialNo. 757,974 In Germany January42.7, 1942 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, .1946 Patent expiresJanuary 27, 1962 `6 Claims.

This invention relates` to multi-lead magazine pencils of the typecomprising a pressure cap which projects the leads and wherein themagazine tube has guide channels therein for the individual leads and isrotatably mounted within thepencil body so thatby positioning aparticular guide channel in alignment with the usual main lead guidetube located in the longitudinal axis of the pencil the appropriate leadwill automatically feed from its channel into or out of the main tube. v

Pencil holders for a plurality of leads, in the form of so-calledartistspencils, are known, in which a common magazine tube having partitionsfor separating the leads is employed, which tube is connected at itsrear endby means of thin pinsl to a disc by which the casing of theholder is closed. Owing to these thin pins, the magazine tube can rocklaterally to and fro inside the casing of the holder. In the case ofthese known pencil holders, the desired lead is brought into a positionopposite the central Aoutlet aperture in the point of the holderby acorresponding rotation and inclination of the holder, whereupon the leadadvances by its own weight, if necessary assisted by a jerk excited onthe holder. This method, which is simple but takes time and involves adegree of skill, may be suilicient for artists pencils, although evenwith these the care and steadiness required in manipulating mustconstitute a troublesome factor. For magazine pencils in which theleadis fed forward by means of a pressure cap and with which it isdesired to save a maximum amount of time and trouble in handling, thismethod is entirely impracticable since the user who has to exert thepressure on the cap cannot be expected to bring the holder steadily intoa predetermined position of rotation and incliniation and to hold it inthisposition.

In order'to eliminate this disadvantage in multicolour magazine pencilsof the type hereinbefore described, it is proposed according -to thepresent invention to arrange special lead tubes which are separatelypivotally secured lto the rotatable pressure head and enclosed in acommon magazine tube, the free ends of these lead tubesbeingconsecutively moved into the axial centre of the 4pencil by-an inwardlyprojecting portion of a supporting tube which is held fast with respectto the rotatable magazine tube and surrounds Athis magazine, so thatthedesired vadjustment of the leads can be effected with .the aid of alocking device securing the magazine tube, in the individual positionsof rotation.

l The construction according. .to the.v invention (Cl. 1Z0-14.3)

afords the advantage that it permits of positively bringing the desiredlead into the correct position independently of the inclination of themagazine pencil and without having to rotate the entire holder, whileshaking of the magazine pencil does not interfere with its properfunctioning.

The invention is applicable to any type of magazine pencil. In view ofthe fact that coloured leads of small calibre (others hardly come intoconsideration for multicolour magazine pencils) break comparativelyeasily, a particular advantage is afforded by the combination of theinvention with arrangements Vknown per se which automatically ensurethat theportion of lead protruding from the point cannever exceed acertain maximum length even if the pressure cap is most carelesslyactuated. For this reason, such a type of magazine pencil has beenselected for the diagrammatic illustration of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings: f

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a magazine pencil in accordancewith the invention,

Figure 2 is a section along the line II-II of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a section along the line III-III of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a section along the line IV-IV of Figure 1,

Figure v5 is an elevation of the tube carrying the magazine pencil,

Figure `6 is a section along the line VI--VI of Figure 5,

Figure 7 is an elevation of the magazine tube of the magazine pencil,

Figure 8 is a section along the line VIII--VIII of Figure '7,

Figure 9 is an elevation of the lead tube of the magazine pencil,

Figure 10 shows a part of Figure 5 on an enlarged scale, and

Figure l1 is a section along the line XI-XI of Figure 10. l

The guide tube 2 intended to receive the lead is displaceably mountedtogether with the gripping-,member 3 embracing the lead in the casing orkshank l vof the magazine pencil, while the clamping ring il is rigidlyconnected to the shank l. The Vspring 5, between the upper end of ringil and shoulder 2a of tubeil, serves only as a closing spring for thegripping member 3 and causes this gripping member to be drawn into theclamping'ring d and thus always. to be so compressed that the lead heldtherein cannotshift. The displaceable guide :tube 2 is encircled by afurther,

also displaceable tube, theV supporting tube 6,

which has, at its lower end, two or more ngerlike extensions 6a (Figure6), with which it extends through the clamping ring 4. The pointedportion B is secured to these extensions 6a, so that it can be movedtogether with the supporting tube 6. The pointed portion 8 has in itsforward part a channel 9, through which the lead passes with friction. Aspring 'I independent of the closing spring 5, between the upper edge ofring 4 and a shoulder in an upper portion of tube 6 urges the supportingtube and consequently the pointed portion 8 to the rear end'position. Apressure cap I is mounted on the rear end of the supporting tube 6.

The magazine tube I4, rotatably mounted in the upper half of thesupporting tube 6, contains, for accommodating and holding apart fourdifferent leads (colours), four lead tubes I5a to ld (Figure 9), whichextend divergently downward and are resiliently secured at their upperends by steel `wires I'I in the disk IG and in the mag-azine tube I4.The upper end of the magazine tube I4 is rigidly connected to thepressure head II. lOwing to a flattened portion (if on one side of thesupporting tube 6 (Figures 2 and 5), the four lead tubes, `when themagazine tube I4 and supporting tube -B are locked, will be sopositioned at their lower free ends that one of them terminates in theaxis of the pencil, so that only the selected lead can slide into theguide tube 2.

Ii the pencil is held by the shank l with its pointed portion 8 directedvertically downwards and pressure is exerted on the head II or on thepressure cap l0, so that this cap is moved downwards against the tensionof the spring the pointed portion 8 secured to the supporting tube 6 isalso pushed down, while the guide tube 2 with the gripping member 3 andthe lead situated therein remains stationary. Not until a distance ofthe length d is covered will the guide tube 2 with the gripping member 3also participate in the downward movement of the pressure cap I0, thesupporting tube 5 and the pointed portion `8, because after this leadhas been traversed the supporting tube 6 is applied by the edge 6b(Figures 1 and 5) against the collar 2a of the guide tube 2.

If the downward movement of the pressure head II and of the pressure capI0 is continued, the gripping member 3 opens because it is forced out ofthe clamping ring 4 and frees the lead. The lead situated in the guidetube 2 at the time then falls out of this tube through the grippingmember 3 to the rear end (the upper end in the drawing) of the channel9, which has also moved further downwards with the opening grippingmember 3 and lies further away from this gripping member by the distanced at the end of the movement. The pointed portion 8 will serve in thiscompletely depressed position of the cap to catch the freely fallinglead.

If the pressure cap I0 and the head Il are now slowly released, thegripping member 3 `and. the pointed portion 8 move toward their rearwardpositions under the influence of the springs 5 and 7. The lead which hasadvanced to the rear (upper) end of the channel 9 follows this rearwardmovement until the gripping member 3 is closed. From then on thegripping member 3 and the firmly clamped lead remain stationary and thepointed portion l8 continue-s its rearward movement under the action ofthe spring 'I. The firmly held lead is at the same time thrust throughthe channel 19 and, after the rearward movement of the pointed portion8, remains pr' truding from the pointed portion `3 to the extent of thelead d minus the length of the channel 9.

Upon repetition of the operation already described, no alteration takesplace in the position of the lead. Not until the length of the portionof lead extending beyond the channel 9 has been reduced, for example bywear during Writing or by breaking off, does repetition of the aforesaidoperation produce an advance of the lead, the lead then being advancedso far that it again extends from the channel 9 to the original length.

When it is desired to change the lead, that is to say, to select anotherof the four available leads, the head Il and the pressure cap I0 are rstpressed into the terminal position, the pencil being in the verticalposition with the point directed upwards, whereby the lead hitherto inuse falls out of the gripping member 3 through the guide tube 2 and backinto the lead tube the free end of which is at this moment disposed-centrally with respect to the pencil. The path is thus open for theselection of a different lead (colour). With the magazine pencil stillin the inverted position, the head II and consequently also the magazinetube I4 with the lead tubes ld to |511 (Figures 7, 8 and 11) mounted andguided therein are turned until the mark of the desired colour i2d to12d on the head I I lies below the countermark I3 on the cap ID, oruntil the inner boss 6c of the supporting tube `6, which has in itsupper part a resilient section 6e owing to the provision of twolongitudinal slots 6d, snaps into the corresponding recess lilla to I4din the magazine tube I4 (Figures '7 and 11). These recesses distributedsymmetrically over the circumference of the magazine tube serve at thesame time to guide the four lead tubes I5a to ld.

In order to ll the pencil, the head Il is withdrawn with the magazinetube I4 and the lead tubes I5a to 15d from the body of the pencil, inwhich operation a small resistance caused by the sliding of the boss 6cof the supporting tube 6 out of a notch in the magazine tube I4 must beovercome. When the lead tubes are free, the leads are inserted in theiroutlet apertures. Distribution of the leads can be facilitated bycorresponding coloured signs on the lead tubes. For the reintroductionof the filled magazine tube I4 into the supporting tube 6, the boss 6cis reengaged in the corresponding recess in the magazine tube. Duringthis operation, the pencil must be held approximately vertical with thepoint directed upwards, in order that the leads may not fall out of thetubes.

I claim:

1. A multi-lead magazine pencil comprising a tubular casing, a main leadguide tube coaxially disposed within the lower end of the casing, amagazine tube within the casing above the main lead guide tube andadapted for rotation and axial movement relative to the casing, apressure head carried by and movable with said magazine tube, aplurality of lead tubes Within the magazine tube and individuallyresiliently secured to the pressure head, a supporting tube within thecasing enclosing the magazine tube, and complemental means on thesupporting tube and on the magazine tube for successively presenting andholding a lead tube in coaxial alignment with the main lead guide tube.

2. A multi-lead magazine pencil according to claim 1 wherein thesupporting tube has a pres S Sure cap against which the pressure head onthe magazine tube bears.

3. A multi-lead magazine pencil according to claim 1 wherein the leadtubes at their upper ends are separately attached by means of stili,resilient wires to the pressure head and are so held by the magazinetube, which is connected with the pressure head, that each of the leadtubes has the tendency to pivot itself outwardly into a position inwhich the lead tubes lie at equal distances from the central axis of thepencil.

4. A multi-lead pencil according to claim 3 wherein the magazine tube isformed for at least part of its length with longitudinally extendingchannels within which the lead tubes are adapted to be guided.

5. A multi-lead pencil according to claim 3 wherein the lead tubesextend beyond the inner end of the magazine tube and the supporting tubehas a attened portion for so positioning the inner end of one of saidlead tubes that it will be in axial alignment with the main lead guidetube.

6. A multi-lead magazine pencil according to claim 1 wherein thecomplemental means for successively presenting and holding the lead tubein alignment with the main lead guide tube com-l prises longitudinallyextending channels on the magazine tube and within which channels thelead tubes are adapted to be guided, and a flattened portion on thesupporting tube for so positioning the inner end ofthe one of said leadtubes that it will be in axial alignment with the main lead guide tube,and an inwardly projecting, resiliently mounted portion on thesupporting tube adapted to engage in the longitudinally extendingrecesses in the magazine tube formed between adjacent channels in saidmagazine tube.

VOTRUBA, VOJTECH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 256,802 Illfelder Apr. 18, 1882FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 252,695 Italy Apr. 4, 1927

